This revised and updated second edition tackles some of the most hotly contested contemporary ethical issues, including torture and same-sex marriage. The collection pairs essays by leading philosophers known for their opposing views, who debate troubling human dilemmas ranging from abortion and euthanasia to drugs and global warming.

This new edition of compelling commentary on substantive ethical issues has been updated to encompass high-profile contemporary concerns such as torture, same-sex marriage, and reparations for the violent injustices of the past. Six pairs of newly commissioned essays join a revised selection of the book's vigorous debates between leading philosophers with contrasting views. Also included in this new edition is a concise and insightful overview essay from Stephen Darwall, outlining the current landscape of ethical theory - vital context for students grappling with concepts that shape the shifting mores of human societies.

The rhetorical power of the first edition's adversarial format was a potent catalyst for scholarly engagement. This fresh edition benefits from the same editorial finesse, enhanced by a broadened academic purview, with themed sections exploring life and death, concepts of justice, privacy and the common good, and issues relating to human communities in our restless, hungry, warming world.

This accessible text locates the pressure points of core issues in applied ethics. It aims to foster the informed discussion required to nourish a new generation of philosophers.